Means for supplying fuel to internal-combustion engines.



K. S1EINBECKER. MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL T0 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.5\ 1913 Patented Jan. 1, 1916.

Whnesses fig a), Q

KARL STEINBECKER, OF CHARLOTTENBURG, GERMANY.

MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FUEL T INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

I Specification of Letters-Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

Application filed August 5, 1913. Serial No. 783,012.

T 0 all whom: it may concern Be it known that I, KARL Srnrxnncnnn, a

' citizen of the German Empire, and residing ,fuel into'internal combustion eng nes 0 type in which ignition is independent of extraneous assistance.

Internal combustion engines are .wellknown in which the fuel is thrown into the working cylinder of the engine by means of a heated retort constantly connected with the cylinder by way of a duct. Some of the fuel injected into the neck of the retort is carried along by the air flowing to the retort, is ignited in the retort and injects the remainder of thefuel into the working cylinder where it is burnt. The employment in practice of such processes, whose object is to avoid the use of'highly compressed injection air. necessitates however a knowledge of and regard for important physical and chemical laws. The present invention takes into account the importance and action of these hereinafter described laws and .provides the means which reduce their action to the admissible amount in practice.

. In the above described process of working such internal combustion engines which will serve as an example, the object of the retort is to have produced in it at a predetermined time an explosion whose energy shall drive the fuel at a predetermined time into the working cylinder. This object requires that the products of combustion be constantly removed with certainty from the retort and replaced by fresh air. Further, this exchange must take place without extraneous assistance, such as the aid of compressed air, but solely owing to the action of expansion out of and toward this clearance space'or chamber which is connected with the cylinder solely by a narrow duct. The fuel supply pipeopens into this closed chamber or space at its narrowest part. This place, like the chamber itself, is under the influence of very severe .fiuctuations of pressure and temperature. These fluctuations are greatest just at the mouth of the 'fuel supply pipe because both the flowing highly-heated explosion gases and the fresh air forced into the chamber bring about an intense exchange of heat. These conditions have a determining influence on the complicated cycle of action which takes place exceedingly rapidly.

In engines of the type described the quantity of fuel requisite per working cycle is exceedingly small and a very small quantity too much or too little injected too early or too late may render the working cycle impossible. For a "20 H. P. two-stroke cycle engine-driven at 450 revs. per min. the quantity of fuel requisite per working cycle is approx. 0.165 c. cms., that is to say a cube having sides about mm. long. The cubic content of the retort is however about 6% of the cubic content of the compression space of the cylinder. Only about 4% of. the quantity of air at disposal in the retort for the preliminary. explosion can however be inserted, in consequence of the throttle action of the nozzle. The quantity of fuel which can be burnt in the retort is there fore 4% of 0.165 c. (ms, 2'. 6. 0.0066 c. cms. This is a cube having sides 1.87 mm. long, thus the-size of a pin head. In any case, therefore, it is exceedingly difficult to bring such exceedingly small quantities of fuel in their proper order into the retort when the load and speed vary, and the solution of the problem is quite impossible when the following fundamental conditions are not taken into consideration 2- Firstly, the cubic expansion of the fuel under the influence of varying temperatures. The temperatures of combustion in the working cylinder are about 2000 C., and those in the uncooled retort are certainly still higher. These hot gases flow past the mouth of the retort and heat the fuel directly and by conduction. If an increase of temperature of only C., e. g. from 20 to 80 C., is reckoned, approximately the same as that experienced by the cooling water, according to Frankenheim the expansion of the fuel amounts to 6.24%. I will now point outwha't influence this expansion of the fuel has on the working cycle. The fuel in the supply pipe is replaced each cycle by cold fuel and is coldest at the moment when the injection is finished. From this moment onward it begins tobe heated under the action of the combustion in the retort and of the flowing gases. The heating lasts until the moment when the new injection begins. In consequence of the fuel being heated and expanding it continues to 1ssue in drops out of the outlet during this entire period, 2". 0. during both the expansion and also the-compression stroke. Assuming that a quantity of fuel equal to that requisite per working cycle is exposed to a rise of temperature of only 60 C., 6.24% of this quantity will drop into the neck of the retort. That is about twice the quantity the retort can deal with. A fraction thereof suffices to render the working cycle impossible. The retort is filled with oil gases and the admission of air is-prevented, so that the explosive rise of pressure requisite for atomiz ing the fuel takes place either not at all or too early or too late. Ignition does not take place or its proper time is not observed and the fuel is consequently thrown not to the cylinder, but to the retort which in a very short time becomes full of smoke and soot. These conditions are accentuated'by the circumstance that the fuel possesses but little capacity for absorbing heat, so that great rises of temperature are brought about by small quantities of heat.

Secondly. the heat of vaporization is relatively small and consequently the abovementioned conditions are influenced still more unfavorably. On the other hand, as the temperature of vaporization is dependent on the pressure, in proportion as the pressures in the retort fall the fuel willissue as vapor from the outlet. These unfavorable influences are obviated or reduced to an admissible extentby cooling the pressure pipe uniformly up to its mouth and. above all, by making the space in the fuel supply pipe as small as is otherwise admissible.

Thirdly. the compressibility of the fuel influences the working cycle unfavorably. The kind of this influence and the order of its magnitude are shown by the following calculation :According to Amagat the volume of paraffin oils is compressed 0.37% when the pressure rises from 1 to 35 atmospheres. If the cubic content of the fuel supply pipe is ten times the quantity of fuel requisite per cycle, when the pressure rises to 35 atmospheres 10x0.37:3.7% of the quantity of oil to be iniected is retained in the pipe. In the case of a constant pressure engine the fuel is injected against a constant Working pressure of about 35 atmospheres. During this time this quantity of oil can thus not pass into the neck of the retort. On the contrary. it will enter later in proportion as the counter pressure falls. Further, at the moment when the injection of fuel begins, the preliminary explosion starts in the retort. Momentary rises of pressure up to 90 atmospheres occur in the retort. These pressures discharge themselves through the neck of the retort and force the issuing fuel back into the pipe, compressing it still more. Thus at the moment when the atomization'of the fuel should start and the high atomizing pressures are at disposal these pressures cannot pass into the neck of the retort at all. The

.fuel pump must first drive the fuel forward a distance equal to the amount it is compressed before the injection can begin. Also, these conditions are not altered by inserting in the mouth of the pipe a non-return or check-valve, for the fuel behind the valve must first be brought to the internal state of equilibrium corresponding to the counter pressures before it can flow past.

Lastly, the elasticity of the pipe acts in the same unfavorable sense as the compressibility of the fuel. According to the selection of the diameter. thickness of wall, length of pipe and of the material the part played by elasticity of course varies. It may amount to a multiple of the compressibilty. N ow these undesirable influences are permanently and certainly obviated according to my invention by, on the one hand. reducing the influence of compressibility to a minimum by providing a fuel supply pipe having a chamber of the smallest admissible cubic content and. secondly, by reducing the influence of the elasticity of the pipe to the smallest admissible amount by making the pipe as short and inelastic as possible.

It is to be understood that I do not limit the employment of these constructive necessities to the above described method of working. There is a large number of known methods which are intended to substitute the Diesel process by avoiding secondarilyproduced injection compressed air by means of a simpler process, as. for example, by the action of displaceu'ient of the working piston or by conducting a portion of the working air around into an adjacent chamber. Even if in the Diesel engine'the control of the point of time and duration of the injection is of the greatest in'iportance, although there is at disposal in the stored compressed air a constant energy, in all processes which develop the energy of atomization in the working cylinder itself, the most exact control of these times is a necessity for the possibility of carrying them into practice. For here the energy of atomization is generated like a blow-by an explosion or sudden rise of pressure-and disappears at once. If therefore this energy of atomization produced as by a blow is to be properly utilized and if it is to be generated at the right time, the fuel must arrive at its place exactly at the intended time. This end is attained perfectly by means of the hereinafter described means for all such processes.

To these ends, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

One illustrative embodiment of my invention and a modification thereof are repre- 5 sented by way of example in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical section through the head of the cylinder of an internal combustion engine of the type described showing a preferred form of my invention, and Fig. 2.

pipe which opens into the duct a connecting the retort with the working cylinder f has the smallest internal diameter admissible, which is particularly small at its mouth. It is carefully cooled up to its mouth or 5 nozzle, this being effected in this embodinent by passing the pipe through the cooling jacket g. This arrangement has a special advantage because a constant temperature 1n the coolmg chamber of the engine can be depended on. The pipe (I may of course be provided, if desired, with a separate cooling jacket.

In order to keep the chamber or space between the valve 0 and the mouth cl of the pipe (I as small as possible it may be necesvalve 0, z

lows :-During the compression stroke a porso during this time into the retort.

tion of the air is forced by the working piston through the narrow duct-e into the retort. Owing to the arrangement of the described apparatus only pure air enters Only shortly before the. end of the compression stroke is the fuel squirted in a thin tine jet by the pump a into the duct (4 constituting the narrow neck of the retort. and in cousc- ,55 (pience of the existing current of air flowing toward the retort the first particles of fuel are carried along into the retort where they at once burn completely in the highly heated pure air. The violent explosion which occurs now. throws the remaining fuel finely atomized into the cylinder. The dn :1- tion of the injection is determined by correctly selecting the following conditions beginning of the injection, size of the retort and amount of resistance in the duct 0 or in In every ca se,

the neck of the retort. The cycle of operations when atomizing the fuel and injecting it into the working cylinder takes place ;in approximately the same manner as in known engines of the type described.

It is of no importance at what angle the fuel is injected into the duct 0. It may be injected in the direction of the retort or toward the working cylinder or at right angles to the direction of motion of the air in the duct. For in every case the direction of motion of the fuel is determined by the existing direction of flow of the air, 11. 0., at first toward the retort and after the explosion has taken place therein toward the working cylinder. The energy of flow of the fuel itself is dissipated by forming eddies at the walls ofthe duct, which is only advantageous for the atomization. I

In consequence of the good conduction of the pure air in the retort the gases are raised to a high temperature so that it is possible to utilize oils which ignite with difficulty. such as tar-oils. without an admixture of readily inflammable oils.

The pump may be driven directly by the valve shaft 1' or by the main shaft with the aid of a suitably shaped cam it: or with the aid of levers, thrust rods or other means of transmission.

\vhen oils which ignite with difficulty are employed it is well-known to employ drops of readily intiai'nmable oils for igniting them. It is of-great importance to bring the igniting drop, which is exceedingly small, at the'beginning of the injection of the heavy oil into the neck of the retort, in order that the preliminary explosion may certainly take place. Therefore the described means must beemployed both for the light igniting oil and for the heavy working oil, in order to bring both of them exactly at the intended time into the duct or neckof the retort. Fig. shows such aform of apparatus comprising a pump a for the heavy oil and a pump a for light igniting oil connected by pipes cl and d, respectively, controlled by check valves 0, 0', respectively, to the duct 6.

The operation of this apparatus will be readily understood from the foregoing de scription.

I claim 1. In an internal eoml'iustion engine of the character described, the combination of :1 cylinder,-a piston movable therein, an auxiliary chamber, a duct connecting said chamber with the cylinder. a fuel pump, and a short water-cooled rigid pi e having a very small cubic content connecting the fuel" pump with said duct, for the purpose specified.

2. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, the combination of a cylinder. a piston movable therein, an auxiliary chamber, a duct connecting said chamber with the end of the working cylinder, a water jacket surrounding said end of the cylinder, :1 fuel pump, and a rigid pipe of very small cubic contents passing through the water jacket and connecting the fuel pump with said duct, for the purpose speci- 3. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, the combination of a cylinder and a piston movable therein, a retort, a duct connecting the retort with the cylinder, a main fuel pump, an auxiliary fuel pump, and pipes connecting the pumps with said duct, each of said pipes being of very small cubic content, forthe purpose specified.

4. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, the combination of a cylinder and a piston movable therein, a retort, a duct connecting the retort with the cylinder, a main fuel pump, an auxiliary fuel pump, and pipes connecting the pumps with said duct, each of said pipes being uniformly cooled and of very small cubic content, for the purpose specified.

5. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, the combination of a cylinder, and a piston movable therein, a retort, a duct connecting the retort with the cylinder, a main fuel pump, an auxiliary fuel pump, and pipes connecting the pumps with saidduct, each of said pipes being very rigid and of very small cubic content, for the purpose specified.

6. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, the combination of a cylinder, and a piston movable therein, a retort, a duct connecting the retort with the cylinder, a main fuel pump, an auxiliary fuel pump, and pipes connecting the pumps meaeee with said duct, each of said pipes being very rigid, uniformly cooled and of very small cubic content, for the purpose specified.

7. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, the combination of a cylinder, a piston movable therein, an auxiliary chamber, a duct connecting the chamher with the cylinder, a fuel pump, and a short rigid pipe having a small cubic content surrounded by a Water cooling medium to insure the cooling thereof connecting the fuel Jump with the duct.

8. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, the combination of a cylinder, a piston movable therein, an auxiliary chamber, a duct connecting the chamber with the cylinder, a fuel pump, and a short rigid pipe having a small cubic content surrounded by a water cooling medium to insure the cooling thereof connecting the fuel pump with the duct.

9. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, the combination with a cylinder, a piston movable therein, an auxiliary chamber, a duct connecting said chamber with the cylinder, a water jacket surrounding the cylinder, a fuel pump and a rigid pipe of small cubic content connecting the pump with the duct passing through the water jacket and being surrounded by the water therein substantially throughout its lengths for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof,.I afiix my signa ture in the presence of two witnesses.

KARL STEINBECKER.

Witnesses:

VVOLDEMAR HAUPT, HENRY HASPER. 

